


Together With You: A Journey Across Remnant

by MakaS0ul



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Freezerburn - Freeform, Grimm exist, He wasn't named when I started writing, Jacques has a different name, Romance, Slow Burn, Traveling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14511405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakaS0ul/pseuds/MakaS0ul
Summary: Weiss escapes from Atlas Castle to be free of her father's expectations, but when night falls, Beowolves chase her down an embankment where she severely injures herself. She wakes up to find herself under the care of Yang, a slightly soft-spoken sell-sword. The two connect and agree to journey across Remnant together.





	1. An Evening Fall Through the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello. I’m moving my fics over from fanfiction, so I’ll be updating this weekly until I catch up. Also, I started this in 2016 so please forgive the quality issues. I swear it gets better lmao. Enjoy~!

The white haired girl heard the howl of Beowolves closing in on her, so she did the only thing she could; she ran. Blackened trees with gnarled branches rushed past as her body kicked into overdrive, her blood and adrenaline pumping faster than ever before. The night was clear and the full moon shined down, lighting the girl’s path enough so that she didn’t run directly into the trunks of the many trees she dodged.

  
She couldn’t tell where she was running to or how close the Beowolves were, but she continued to push her legs to their limits. Soon though, her speed began to exceed her ice blue eyes’ ability to process her surroundings in the inky darkness and her foot caught on a root protruding from the forest floor.

  
As she fell, she could hear the snarling and panting of the Beowolves fast approaching, their howls signaling the other members of the pack that their next meal was close. The girl began to tumble down a large embankment, twisting, turning, and rolling through the darkness. She barely registered that the Beowolves had stopped their pursuit, likely due to the tumble she was taking, but her thoughts quickly left her when she slammed into a tree, her ribs and sternum cracking in protest.

  
She couldn’t even cry out as she felt the oxygen leave her body with the impact before she continued her descent and felt her back smash into another tree. This too forced what little oxygen she had regained back out once more. The girl could only wonder how much longer her fall would take as she felt her ankle catch on another root and crack underneath the pressure, throwing her legs-first into another tree. She was greeted with the sound of more cracking before her left eye was slashed by a passing branch and she finally smashed her head into yet another tree and blacked out.

 

* * *

 

 

The girl was greeted with the sound of crackling, from what she could assume was a fire, and the sound of a stream dribbling nearby. Her eyes shot open and she attempted to sit up, only to be hit by a bout of pain and a wave of nausea, which forced her to lie back down. She shut her eyes, willing the nausea to subside before she opened them once more. Why was she alive? She had been battered by an entire forest! There was no way she could be alive!

  
From where she lay, she could see a semicircle of fir trees around her. The trees were cut off by a small stream that glistened in the waning moonlight and appeared to lead down to a lake. Focusing her attention back to the fire, she noticed there were some fish roasting over it, speared through with sticks and nicely browned. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl noticed a bag –more of a burlap sack—that lay atop a rough spun blanket. She was not alone, and as she registered that thought in her throbbing head, she heard the sound of footsteps along the gravel of the stream.

  
She stiffened. Someone was coming! From what she could see, the footsteps came from a tall, well-built woman. She stood at likely no less than 6 feet tall and seemed to purely be made of muscle. Truly, she had never seen a woman quite like the one before her.

  
The woman’s eyes were a deep purple, like amethyst dust crystals, and she had a mane of waist-length blonde hair that seemed to glow with the firelight. She wore a ragged brown cloak that had clearly seen better days, and covering her well-endowed chest was some iron plate armor, rife with scratches from no doubt countless battles and encounters with Grimm. The rest of her body was covered with more pieces of armor, though she was far from being as covered as the knights back in the castle.

  
From her place on the ground, the girl’s icy eyes caught a glint on the woman’s wrists. Squinting, she realized that the woman had golden gauntlets that were wrapped with glowing fire dust crystals. That was not a weapon that one saw every day, even at the yearly fighter’s tournaments that Atlas Castle held. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly an experienced fighter, and not someone to hastily attempt to escape from.

  
The woman made her way over to the fire, examining the fish before taking them away from the flames and settling on the blanket. Her lilac eyes made their way over to the girl before she rose, realizing the girl was awake, and sat next to her, resting the fish against some rocks that surrounded the fire.

  
Her face betrayed no emotion as she lifted the blanket that covered the injured girl and glanced her up and down; checking on the bandages and splints that covered her body. By this point, she looked like a mummy, and about the only thing that appeared unharmed was the majority of her face and neck. She then locked eyes with the girl, seemingly asking if she was ok.

  
“Did you save me?” the white haired girl croaked out, her voice rough and raw.

  
The woman simply nodded, then gestured to the bandages, indicating that she took the liberty of patching her up.

  
“Who are you? Where am I?” she managed before coughing roughly.

  
At this, the woman reached over and steadied her shoulders as her body was wracked by the coughs. When her body settled, she opened her mouth and said softly, “Yang Xiao Long. 2 day’s ride from Atlas capital.” It seemed she could speak when necessary.

  
A moment later, she reached for a stick and began to draw in the dirt. From what the practically mummified girl could see, it appeared to be a body. When the woman finished, she gestured to the head, back, shoulders, collarbone, ribs, sternum, arms, legs, the right ankle, the left eye, and both feet before looking at her.

  
“Is that everything that I hurt?” the icy eyed girl breathed out. Her head throbbed and her entire body ached, as if it was signaling the affirmative. Yang nodded. “Wonderful,” the injured girl said bitterly.

  
Yang then reached over and grabbed a stick with a thoroughly roasted fish and gestured towards Weiss. She seemed to be asking if the smaller girl was hungry. The girl’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the fish before she tried to reach for it.

  
She hissed at the newfound pain that shot from her arm and immediately brought it back down. Clearly, moving was going to be a challenge.

  
Seeing this, Yang began to tear small pieces of the fish off and brought her hand to the girl’s mouth. She was going to feed her!

  
The white haired girl was reluctant, but sighed, realizing that there was no way she was going to be able to eat by herself in her condition, and resigned herself before opening her mouth hesitantly.

  
Yang gently slid the fish into the girl’s waiting mouth. She seemed to sigh happily at the taste of the fish hitting her tongue; a reassuring gesture towards Yang’s untested cooking skills. More pieces were torn off and slid into the girl’s mouth until the fish was nothing but bones.

  
“Thank you for… well… everything you’ve done,” she said, a small smile making its way onto her face. “I thought I was going to die when those Beowolves came after me. Honestly, I’m surprised I survived my fall down the embankment.” The girl seemed to have adopted a rather blunt attitude toward her brush with death. “Yang?” she queried, her voice not much more than a whisper.

  
Yang nodded, signaling the girl to proceed with whatever she wanted to say. Her eyes conveyed warmth, but the rest of her face remained unreadable.

  
“What do you plan to do with me? You’re under no obligation to take care of me, though I appreciate what you’ve done for me so far. If you wanted, you could leave me here to die, much like that damned wagon driver did when we were attacked by an Ursa.” Her voice was full of venom with the recollection of the man who left her to die in the woods in the dead of night. “When I find him…”

  
“I will not leave you,” Yang said, snapping Weiss’s attention back to the golden haired girl. “I have no destination, no goal, no purpose.” Lilac eyes met wide icy ones to ensure the nearly-mummified girl could see her sincerity. “I will be with you until you no longer need or want me.”

  
The girl’s eyes widened further at the bold declaration; she did not know this woman, so she could not fathom why she would be so keen to help her, a stranger. “So if I decided that I wanted to find some holy sword across the world and become a knight of the round, you’d follow me?” she asked, her voice full of skepticism.

  
Yang nodded. “If that is what you wish to do, then I will follow.”

  
“And if I wanted to become a dictator and wipe out village after village in some mad quest for power?”

  
“I would follow you.” She looked at her large, calloused hands a moment before meeting the injured girl’s eyes again. “As I said, I have nothing to live or work for. I am nothing but a wandering sword.”

  
“So what you seek is an employer? A master? I have little coin, so I can’t afford to employ you.”

  
Yang remained silent for a moment and looked away before opening her mouth once more. “I seek… a purpose; whether that be as a sell-sword, a soldier, a guard, or a traveling companion. I need not be paid.”

  
The white haired girl released a breath, almost laughing as she tilted her head slightly. “I get it, but I don’t really have a purpose myself. I have no aspirations for power, for knowledge, or for some kind of destiny. All I’ve been doing is running away from home.” She scrunched her face, clearly displeased with the thought. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about what to do after escaping that hell. I don’t think I can offer you the purpose you desire.”

  
“Why did you run away? Is someone after your life?” the blonde asked, her voice gentle yet slightly hopeful at the prospect of a job.

  
The icy eyed girl paused, debating whether or not she should share her story. She hardly knew the blonde. Still, Yang had saved her life; perhaps she should trust the woman. She glanced at the blonde’s eyes briefly before relenting.

  
“I… am Princess Weiss Schnee, heir to the Atlesian throne,” she breathed; her voice quiet and hesitant. Yang’s eyes went wide before she calmed and gestured for Weiss to continue.

  
“I left the castle because… I didn’t want to live under my father. Day after day, my father drained my childhood from my elder sister and I. We weren’t allowed to be children, nor were we allowed to be ourselves. My sister was perfect in his eyes; the ideal of elegance and regality, and better yet, she followed his every command to the letter. To him, I was nothing more than an eyesore; an imperfection that did nothing but embarrass him on a consistent basis.”

  
Weiss’s eyes began to water as she recalled the hellish days in the castle. Yang noticed this and rested a calloused hand on Weiss’s forehead. The smaller girl sighed into the contact; Yang’s hand was warm, almost burning hot, as if her entire body was made of fire, yet Weiss felt that the heat could never burn anyone. Instead, it felt like it would envelop you, like the warmth of a blanket on a freezing winter night.

  
“Thanks,” Weiss breathed, her eyes still shut. Yang nodded and softly stroked a thumb across Weiss’s brow. Her thumb then brushed against Weiss’s left eye, sliding over a newly formed scar. The pink skin traced a line from above Weiss’s brow to the top of the girl’s pale cheek; a memento from her fall down the embankment.

  
“Can you… see out of your left eye?” Yang asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

  
Weiss’s eyes fluttered open after Yang’s ministrations stopped. “Yes, why?” Her brow furrowed at the question. Why would Yang ask something like that? Especially after the revelation of her heritage…

  
Yang paused, glancing away briefly before meeting the smaller girl’s gaze. “You… have a scar over it. It’s not very big though.”

  
Weiss’s icy eyes widened for a second, but returned to their normal state just as quickly. A slight grin split Weiss’s face; it didn’t matter whether she was perfect anymore! She didn’t have to be perfect for her father anymore! Good riddance! A soft giggle escaped Weiss’s mouth, surprising Yang.

  
“Why are you laughing?” Yang asked, surprised at the former princess’s cheerful demeanor. She’d expected the girl to cry, to become angered, or really to react in any other way besides laughter.

  
“Well… my father had always stressed perfection. Everything we did had to be done gracefully, swiftly, and perfectly. Even regarding our personalities and appearances: perfection was the only option.” Weiss stopped for a minute to laugh a bit. “As I said before, my father had always thought I was imperfect, and now,” Weiss grinned again, her eyes crinkling at the corners, “I’m finally ‘truly imperfect.’ Now, he no longer has to imagine imperfections to criticize me for; I now have an actual, tangible imperfection.”

  
At this point, Yang was completely lost. What was this girl talking about? As if sensing the blonde’s confusion, Weiss spoke up again.

  
“Basically, I can piss my father off by showing him this scar. He will condemn me for trying to bring shame upon the glorious Schnee name by being anything less than perfect.” The sarcasm dripping off of the word “glorious” was almost tangible. Clearly, Weiss wasn’t upset about the scar. If anything, she was proud of it.

  
Yang couldn’t suppress a giggle at this. Truly, the former princess was an interesting girl. “Well… what were you planning to do once you left the castle?” Yang tilted her head, interested to hear the answer.

  
Weiss’s face was tinged with a slight pink before she looked away. “Well… the thing is… I hadn’t really gotten that far…”

  
Yang chuckled; she’d expected something like that. “Surely you must have some idea.”

  
Weiss looked up to the sky that was getting brighter by the minute; it would be dawn soon. “I suppose I want to see the world. There are so many different people and cultures, and I would like to explore them.” She let out a small, slightly bitter laugh. “All I’ve seen so far is this accursed forest though.”

  
The blonde chuckled. “And? What is your impression of the forest so far?”

  
“Dreadful. I think I’d rather sit through an extended lecture from Mr. Port, one of my former tutors, than spend any longer in these woods.”

  
The two women shared a laugh before Yang glanced at the sky. “It should be dawn soon, which means many of the Grimm will disappear soon.” The smaller girl shivered at the mention of the creatures which put her in her current state.

  
“I thought Grimm were around no matter the time of day. Are they nocturnal?”

  
Yang shook her head, her mass of blonde hair swaying with each shake. “You’re right; Grimm are around at all times. During the day, the amount simply lessens. Nobody knows where they disappear to during the day, but it is a well-known fact that more of them appear at night.”

  
Weiss paused for a moment. “Do they have an aversion to light?”

  
The blonde nodded. “That’s what many think. That’s why it’s important to build a large fire if you’re in an area with Grimm at night; they tend to avoid those who’ve done so.”

  
“That stupid driver,” Weiss spat. “He had no torches on his wagon. It’s no wonder we were attacked! Honestly, when I find him, he’ll wish he had been caught by Grimm instead!”

  
Yang burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her sides. The former princess was a fiery one for sure! Said former princess chuckled at the sight of Yang; one would have thought that the former princess had told an actual joke, not threatened a man. The woman before her had been so soft spoken before, and now she had begun to open up to a stranger in just a matter of hours.

  
The blonde wiped her eyes and caught her breath; she hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. Still, Yang wanted to get back to the earlier matter. After a moment, she cleared her throat, “Miss Schnee—“

  
“Weiss.”

  
The blonde coughed. “Weiss, if you would allow it, I would like to accompany you on your journey to see the world. While there are many good people, there are also many dangerous people, and I would like to keep you safe from those people that would try to do you harm.” Lilac eyes fixed onto icy ones.

  
The former princess stared at Yang before looking back to the early morning sky and sighing. “I can’t pay you.”

  
“I know that.”

  
“I’ve no desire for power or anything like that.”

  
“I know that.” The blonde’s voice was firmer this time.

  
“I’ll be traveling for an indefinite period of time with no real destination.”

  
“I know that.” The blonde’s voice was soft as she reached over and gently placed her hand over the white haired girl’s. “I know that, but even still, I want to accompany you.”

  
Weiss glanced back at Yang. “Why? Wouldn’t anyone do? Why do you so desperately want to accompany me?” Her voice wasn’t angry, but instead, rather matter-of-fact.

  
The wandering sword shook her head, her hand still gently holding the former princess’s. “No, nobody else would do.”

  
“And why is that?” The white haired girl’s voice was patient, no hint of irritation in her voice.

 

Yang smiled. “Because I’ve grown a bit fond of you.”

  
The former princess stared blankly at the blonde for a moment before bursting into laughter, though she quickly stopped after her ribs and sternum had protested at the action. “Ow…”

  
Yang reached over and wiped the tears from the corners of Weiss’s eyes that had formed during her burst of laughter. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

  
Once Weiss had regained her composure, she tilted her head towards the wandering sword. “What an honest answer.” She shook her head slightly, a grin on her face. “Well, I’ve told you that I have no coin to pay you and no real destination or goal, but if you’re honestly fine with that, you can accompany me. I look forward to traveling with you, Yang.”

  
The slight smile that Yang had worn before turned into a full blown face-splitting grin. “And I as well, Weiss.” She’d finally have a purpose, and better yet, a companion. How long had it been since she’d traveled in the company of another?

  
“By the way,” Weiss’s voice cut through Yang’s thoughts, “how long will it take for me to heal? We won’t be able to start our journey until that happens.”

  
Right. Weiss’s injuries. Yang had nearly forgotten, despite the fact that a near-mummy lay before her. “For everything to completely heal, it will take about 8 weeks in total.” Her voice was soft and careful, as if the rest of Weiss’s bones would break if she spoke too loudly.

  
Weiss’s jaw went slack. 8 weeks?! She’d be stuck as a glorified vegetable for 8 weeks?! “ _What?!_ ” the former princess hissed.

  
Yang winced but her voice rang out clearly. “I can’t move you from here. You injured your head severely and it would be dangerous to move you yet. Fortunately, I’m equipped enough to take care of you where we are. I have medical supplies and there’s plenty of shelter and food around here. I’ll keep you safe and make sure you heal properly.”

  
The former princess stared at Yang blankly for a moment before sighing and looking up to the sky again. “Thanks.”

  
It was going to be a long 8 weeks.


	2. It's Weiss to Learn More About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruh, I was gonna make this a weekly thing and then finals happened and I graduated and then I moved my shit back home and I completely forgot about this. Sorry about that lmao. Anyway, check the notes at the bottom for locations used in the story, because I'm gonna be doing a lot of worldbuilding through this lmao. Enjoy~!

As it turned out, Weiss hadn’t been unconscious for a few hours like she had thought. According to her new traveling companion, she had been out for about 5 days. During that time, Yang had fashioned splints for her broken bones and made sure to find a large piece of wood to put Weiss on to keep her back level. Yang had also made sure to be careful with Weiss’s neck and eye, since the girl had clearly hit and scratched them during her tumble down the embankment.

  
During the week that went by after Weiss’s awakening, the days went by slowly. If the former princess wanted to do anything, she needed Yang to assist her, and while the blonde was more than willing to do so, Weiss missed her independence. She hadn’t realized how much she would miss being able to eat on her own, much like one forgets how much they like to be able to breathe out of their nose when they have a cold. It sounded like an odd sentiment, and it was, but Weiss felt it all the same.

  
As for Yang, taking care of Weiss was something that helped keep her busy during the long days of recovery. When the white haired girl had been unconscious, Yang had spent most of her days fishing, mending tears in her possessions, changing Weiss’s bandages, and waiting for the former princess to wake up. They were important activities, but most would agree that they were not very entertaining. At least now, Yang could actually talk to her companion to pass the time, or at least listen to the other girl talk; Yang didn’t usually have much to say, so she let the other girl fill the air most of the time.

  
“Yang?” Weiss called out to the sell-sword who was a few feet away fishing at the river. The sun was in the middle of the sky, so Weiss knew that Yang was currently fishing for their lunch.

  
“What is it?” the blonde called back, turning slightly to look at the near-mummy.

  
“What did you do before you found me?” The former princess’s voice was curious, yet at the same time, slightly cautious. It was as if she was concerned that she might have brought up a topic that was better left untouched.

  
It seemed that today, Weiss was in a curious mood, so Yang would likely be speaking a lot. The blonde paused for a moment before she began her story when she felt a tug on her line. Pulling back the stick that served as the rod and finding nothing, Yang tossed the line back into the stream with a slightly annoyed grunt.

  
“I was a soldier in the militia on Patch for two years. We never really did much to defend the island itself. Instead, we often went to assist nearby villages back on the mainland.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, clearly unbothered by the question.

  
The former princess hummed in response before speaking up again. “Is that where you got those gauntlets from?”

  
Yang shook her head. “My uncle is a blacksmith. He made these for me, then insisted I give them a name. Something about how ‘you’ve gotta name your weapon in order to bond with it and draw out its full potential.’” She chuckled at the memory.

  
Weiss felt herself grinning in response. “And? What’s its name?”

  
“Ember Celica. The name just came to me when I saw them, but I’m not sure why.” Yang chuckled again after she saw the quizzical but amused look Weiss gave her.

  
“Interesting,” Weiss hummed. She knew of a few soldiers in the Atlesian military who had named their weapons. They each had special weapons like Yang; ones that Weiss had yet to see a duplicate of anywhere. In particular, she remembered two soldiers. One, a foot soldier, who happened to be a bumbling idiot, named Jaune Arc. He had the standard equipment for a soldier –a sword and a collapsible shield—but he named them in an attempt to stand out; Crocea Mors. The boy had been relentless in his attempts to impress the former princess, something which irritated her to no end.

  
The other soldier was a captain named Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was striking, with vibrant red hair and green eyes, not to mention her overall build reminded Weiss of Yang. Pyrrha wielded a round shield and a javelin that could also transform into a xiphos and a rifle. The javelin and shield together were named Miló and Akoúo̱. Pyrrha had been Weiss’s personal guard on several occasions, so the two had spoken a number of times and got along well, something which Weiss was grateful for.

  
The former princess had kept the captain out of the loop on her plan to escape; the fewer people that knew about her plan, the better. Still, Weiss rather liked the woman and wished she could have said something to her. At this point though, the former princess doubted she would ever see the woman again.

  
“Yang?” Weiss called again.

  
While the white haired girl had been lost in her thoughts, Yang had turned her attention back to fishing, catching one in the process. Upon hearing her name, the blonde half turned once again to answer the former princess. “Yes?”

  
“If you were in the militia on Patch, how did you end up in a forest in Atlas?” It was a question that had been weighing on Weiss’s mind for the past week since she had awakened. Most people did not wander through forests –especially not at night—for a simple change of pace.

  
Yang’s face remained neutral. “Well, the militia disbanded since there was never any threats toward Patch. Since I no longer had work, I had to leave the island to find some. Patch is small, so what few jobs there were had been snatched up by the soldiers with families to feed. That was about a year ago.”

  
Yang paused when she felt another tug on her line, quickly bringing it in when she spotted a fish on the end. As she began dressing her catch, she continued her story. “I traveled around Vale for a year looking for work, but Vale didn’t have many jobs to suit my skills, so I decided to head to Atlas. I had considered joining the military here, but considering the strict tenure requirements, I decided to look for something different. When I arrived, I landed in Atlas’s port of Hafen, but I couldn’t find any work there either, so I decided to head to Atlas capital, Castle Town, and see if I could find work there. On my way there, I passed through the town of Eurlos and heard that the capital was having an influx of jobs for an expedition, but it would leave in two and a half days.”

  
The blonde paused again to put the fish on their sticks and place them near the fire. “I had to hurry, so I took the road through Geister Forest to get to Ameren in the middle of the night that I found you. Along the way, I found some belongings in the middle of the road, probably where you were attacked, and then found the rest of the wagon a little further down. No bodies though, so you can still find the driver who left you behind.”

  
At the last bit, Weiss snorted. She would find that damned driver if it was the last thing she did. Never before had she felt such a strong urge to wring someone’s neck; Jaune hadn’t even come close, despite his constant and pitiful attempts to impress the former princess. “So, when you found the wagon you decided to investigate?”

  
Yang nodded. “I found the embankment and saw you at the bottom of it.”

  
The former princess gave the blonde a bewildered look. “Wait a moment. How did you manage to see me in the middle of the forest, down an embankment, and in the dead of night?”

  
The sell-sword shrugged. “Your hair and skin kind of glow in the moonlight. When I first saw you at the bottom, I thought you were a ghost,” she said, chuckling a bit.

  
Weiss, despite herself, had to giggle as well. She knew her hair and skin were pale, but she didn’t think she was that pale. Perhaps she would tan a little out in this forest.

  
Seemingly sensing the end to the questions for the time being, Yang checked on the fish; the skin was just starting to brown, indicating that they would be done soon. While Yang was not a picky eater, she was beginning to tire of eating the same fish for every meal. It would be time to hunt for something else soon; perhaps some rabbit or even deer if she was lucky.

  
“Miss Schnee?”

  
“Weiss,” the former princess cut in. Yang had kept forgetting that they were on equal footing, so addressing Weiss as “Miss Schnee” was a common problem. “Yang, we are equals on this trip. I’m no longer a princess and this will be quite a tiresome journey if you keep treating me as your superior. I haven’t hired you, remember?”

  
“My apologies, Weiss. I will try to remember that from now on.”

  
“Good. Now,” Weiss’s voice softened, “what was it you wanted to ask me?”

  
“You mentioned you had a sister, right?”

  
Weiss stiffened a bit, or at least as much as someone who was almost completely immobile could stiffen. “Yes,” she said, her voice tight, “that’s right.”

  
“What was she like? I’ve always wanted a sister.”

  
Weiss sighed; her sister had always been a sensitive topic for her. Constant comparisons between the two had put a damper on their relationship, at least from Weiss’s perspective.

  
“Well, her name is Winter and she’s 22, so four years older than myself, which meant that she had to look after me a lot when we were little. She was really kind, caring, and patient when we were children.”

  
Weiss paused a moment, seemingly collecting her thoughts before continuing. “When she turned thirteen, our father started formally drilling her in her studies in order to inherit the throne. At that point, our relationship started to deteriorate; we saw each other far less often and when we did, she always kept the interactions short. She became cold, calculating, and ruthless towards others. She was never horrible to me, but watching her change was painful in its own right.”

  
Yang simply nodded, listening as Weiss told her story. At one point, tears had formed at the corners of the white haired girl’s eyes and the blonde reached over to brush them away.

  
Weiss was thankful for the gesture, smiling a bit at Yang before pressing on. “Do you remember when I mentioned that my father had always viewed me as an imperfection?”

  
The blonde nodded again; it was hard to forget something as heavy as that. Yang herself had a good relationship with her father, so she could scarcely imagine a parent treating their own child so horribly, and especially since a young age.

  
“When Winter began her formal studies to take over the throne, his comparisons between the two of us lessened. It was probably because Winter was completing her studies perfectly, so he had no reason to bother me. He was likely too busy taking pride in her accomplishments to bother worrying about my supposed failures.”

  
Weiss laughed bitterly. “It’s funny; even though I hated life in that damned castle and hated the change in Winter, I can’t help but miss her. A part of me wants to return so I can see her again, but I know that it won’t be worth it. She’ll keep me at a distance like she did before I left.”

  
Yang reached over and clasped Weiss’s hand within hers, hoping the gesture would bring some kind of comfort to her downcast companion. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the former princess smiled slightly, gently squeezing Yang’s calloused hand.

  
Weiss moved her eyes up towards the sky; the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. It was likely around 1 PM; the sun’s rays were pleasantly warm as they shined down on the forest.

  
“You know,” Weiss mused, “my disappearance has likely caused quite the stir in the castle.”

  
“Do you think it will be labeled as a kidnapping?” The blonde’s voice was soft, but weary at the same time; she could only guess how short-lived their journey would be if that were the case.

  
“It won’t be. My father wants to keep up appearances, so he will likely send out search parties discretely. No wanted posters, no public announcements, nothing. In other words, as long as the search party doesn’t find us, we should be fine.” Weiss’s voice was firm; she knew her father well enough to judge his likely actions, so she was sure that she would still be able to travel around Atlas for the time being.

  
Weiss’s thoughts drifted back to her sister. How would Winter react to her younger sister’s disappearance? Surely she would be worried about her. Right? The former princess could only speculate. “I wonder what Winter’s doing…” Weiss murmured.

 

* * *

 

 

Winter Schnee was currently making her way to her father’s study at a pace that was barely less than a full on sprint. She had matters to discuss with the king that could not wait. Without bothering to knock, Winter burst into the king’s study, instantly setting her eyes upon her father’s form behind his large desk and moving past rows of bookshelves to stand in front of him.

  
King Schnee was a tall man, and much like his daughters, had a full head of close-cropped white hair. His features were hard, something which intimidated everyone around him, and the large golden crown adorned with various jewels that sat atop his head did nothing to ease his daunting presence. As usual, the elder Schnee was wrapped in a large, ice blue robe and his fingers were adorned with many jeweled rings; Winter had always considered the rings to be nothing more than a way to show off his wealth. Noticing his eldest daughter’s presence, King Schnee looked up from his work with a glare.

  
“Winter,” King Schnee rumbled, “you are to knock before entering a room. Have you forgotten your lessons?”

  
“Certainly not, Father, but this is a matter that is too important for formalities.” Winter’s voice was crisp as she regarded the man before her; her hands clasped behind her back in something akin to a military stance.

  
“And what matter is that?” The elder Schnee’s voice was tired as he rubbed his temples; he had been attending to the affairs of the castle guards. Despite having a captain of the guards who would usually take care of the majority of guard affairs, King Schnee liked to attend to the finer details himself to ensure they were done right and up to his exacting standards.

  
“The matter of Weiss’s disappearance. She has been missing for twelve days now. Are we going to sit idly by and do nothing?” There was a firmness to the younger Schnee’s voice that indicated that she was on the edge of losing her temper. Despite this, Winter knew that taking her anger out on her father was an exercise that would be counterproductive to her interests, so she restrained herself.

  
King Schnee’s icy eyes hardened. “Watch your tongue, Daughter, lest you say something you will regret.”

  
Winter merely regarded him coolly. Over the years, she had tested the limits of her father’s patience and knew that she had only begun to scratch the surface of it at this point, yet she knew that the shallower the scratch, the better her chances would be to receive the answers she wanted, thus, she obeyed.

  
“Before you burst into my study unannounced, I had been forming a search party to look for her, though it seems you have taken a keen interest in your sister’s recovery. Am I to interpret this as a desire to lead the investigation yourself?” King Schnee’s lips curled into an amused smirk; it reminded Winter of a snake.

  
“Yes, Father. I would like to lead the investigation,” Winter said firmly. If it had taken her father this long to act on his youngest’s disappearance, Winter could only imagine how little effort he would put into the search itself. The younger Schnee knew that her father had never liked her younger sister, so she knew he was only forming a search party to keep up appearances. Knowing this, Winter had realized that Weiss would have a higher chance of returning to the castle if Winter was in charge.

  
King Schnee rested his head against his fist, tilting his head slightly and smirking at his eldest daughter, the look of a predator that had found trapped prey resting on his face. “My dearest daughter, I find myself curious: why have you suddenly become so interested in your younger sister’s whereabouts? Why, not even three weeks ago you acted as if she was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. Why should her disappearance matter to you now?”

  
Winter tensed slightly before clearing her throat. “Father, Weiss’s disappearance is something that would bring shame upon our prestigious household, thus, I feel that it is my duty to find her and return her to the castle before any damage can be done.”

  
A positively devilish smirk crossed King Schnee’s lips. “Is that so? I’m pleased to hear that you hold our name so dear. Though I must confess, I fear that you’ve never shown much interest in the prestige of our name. Tell me, what brought on this sudden change of heart? Surely it was not simply a lie conceived out of personal concern for your younger sister?”

  
Winter could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise: her father was cornering her, though into what, she could not say. Regardless, she was in danger, so she quickly gave her reply. “I simply realized during the time of her disappearance that which really matters; the Schnee name. As you have said, Father, before we are ourselves, we are Schnees. I wish to conduct the search with the intent to preserve the dignity of the Schnee name, not with the desire to see my kin returned.”

  
The elder Schnee sneered. “Truly? Then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind going to search for her by yourself, would you? Surely finding your sister would not be too difficult a task for someone of your abilities.”

  
There it was. Her father was making his move. Winter could feel her throat going dry as she attempted to stand her ground. “Well, Father, while I could find her myself, sending out myself and a search party would be far more efficient, wouldn’t you agree?”

  
“Do enlighten me on how the squandering of valuable soldiers in the search for a petulant child will be more efficient.” King Schnee’s voice was just short of venomous.

  
“Father, surely you can understand that searching for someone with one person is a nigh impossible task. The more people there are that search for Weiss, the better our chances of finding her quickly. Do you not wish to expedite the process of returning your youngest daughter back before she does damage to the Schnee name?” Winter took a deep breath; if she couldn’t get through to her father here, Weiss would never be returned to the castle. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly before she spoke. “After all, it wouldn’t do for the people to find out that the second heir to the Schnee throne was missing, would it?”

  
The grin on King Schnee’s face faltered, if ever so slightly, before he grunted and shoved the papers on his desk towards Winter. “Very well, Daughter,” he hissed. “You have full authority on the search. I’m allowing you one unit of fifteen soldiers, including one captain. I’ll leave it to your discretion to decide the participants.” He waved his hand. “You are dismissed.”

  
At this, Winter bowed, effectively hiding the smirk that occupied her face, before turning and swiftly exiting the room. She made her way along the large corridors of the castle, her pace considerably less brisk than before.

  
Winter was heading for the training grounds, as the guards would likely be out there at this time of day, practicing their swings and whatever else. She knew exactly which captain would head the soldiers; Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was not only incredible capable, she had also been Weiss’s personal guard on any outings the youngest Schnee had gone on. If anyone would have motivation for finding Weiss, it would be Pyrrha.

  
Along the way, Winter stopped in front of Weiss’s rooms, resting her hand gently against the wood of the large door before stepping away after a moment and continuing on to her destination.

  
The training grounds were a large, open grassy area with the stables off to the left side and the barracks off to the opposite. Currently, the soldiers were sparring with each other; their usual swords traded for wooden ones. At the head of a particularly intense match, Winter spotted the flaming haired captain and briskly made her way over.

  
“Captain Nikos,” she boomed, her hands clasping behind her back once again.

  
Said captain immediately stopped her match and turned, kneeling and bowing deeply to the princess in front of her. “Your Highness. What may I help you with?”

  
Ever the polite one, Pyrrha held favor with many nobles due to her impeccable skill and manners. Still, she had refused becoming anyone’s personal guard, though Winter suspected that if Weiss had asked, Pyrrha would have accepted immediately.

  
“I’m heading a search party for Weiss. I want you to be the captain of the guards for it.” Winter’s voice left no room for argument, though she knew that the redhead would have no objections regardless.

  
“Yes, Your Highness. It would be my honor,” Pyrrha said, her voice strong and firm.

  
“Excellent. Now, I want you to select the other fourteen members. I will accept only the best.”

  
“Fourteen, Your Highness? With all due respect, it may prove difficult to find the princess with only fifteen soldiers.”

  
Winter’s eyes hardened, though her irritation was directed not at Pyrrha, but rather her father. “I’m aware of that. Fifteen is all that I am allowed for the party, I’m afraid. We will discuss the details later. For now, gather the soldiers and be prepared to leave at dawn tomorrow.”

  
Another deep bow from Pyrrha. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  
At that, Winter turned on her heel and left the grounds.

  
Winter’s heels clicked along the stone floors of the castle as she made her way back to her rooms. She reached the large door that was identical to Weiss’s before pushing it open and stepping inside; leaning against it as she closed it behind her.

  
With a sigh, Winter pushed herself off the door and approached her nightstand. She reached for the wooden knob and pulled gently, revealing the contents; a small silver tiara –the one that had sat atop the off-center ponytail that her younger sister had always worn.

  
Winter clutched the item to her chest before collapsing onto her bed. “Mark my words,” she whispered. “I will find you, my darling little sister, no matter the cost. You will return to me safe and sound, and this time, I’ll never let you go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winter's really attached to Weiss, but as a Schnee, she's not great at showing it. The pace will pick up next chapter so I hope y'all don't get too bored lmao. Notes below on locations and stuff. Until next time~!
> 
> Notes:  
> Atlas: Kingdom from where Weiss hails. Most powerful kingdom in Remnant (huge military force). Large forest (Geister (haunted in German)) at the southern end of the continent, separating the port city of Hafen and Atlas Castle.
> 
> Hafen: The largest port city in Atlas and the second largest city overall. Hafen is responsible for 90% of Atlas’s naval trade and is the most common entrance point for travelers. 5 days ride from Castle Town
> 
> Eurlos: A small town that sits at the edge of Geister forest. Many travelers resupply there. Many inns available. 3 days ride from Castle Town.
> 
> Atlas Capital (aka Castle Town): A bustling city sprawled around Atlas Castle. It is a hub of trade and home to the Atlesian military. It takes 1 full day to walk from one end of the city to the other. 5 days ride from Hafen.
> 
> Ameren: A small city on the other side of the Geister forest closer to Castle Town. It is similar to Eurlos. It is 1 day and a half away from Castle Town.
> 
> Geister Forest: A large forest that sits at the southern end of the continent. Filled with Grimm and dangerous no matter the time of day. Despite there being a road from Eurlos to Ameren through the middle, it is extremely easy to get lost. Countless people have lost their way and died inside.


	3. Weiss-Cold Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking forgot again. But better late than never, right? One of these days I'm gonna update on time I swear. Anyway, enjoy~!

The sun was beginning to rise over Castle Town, bathing the city in a warm, golden light. In the streets, vendors were beginning to set up their stalls for the day, while the rest of the city remained asleep. At Atlas Castle, the servants were beginning to move about the impeccably clean halls.

  
Winter Schnee was making her way down one of these halls briskly; her destination being the front gate where she had arranged to meet Captain Nikos. The previous evening, Winter had completed her own preparations; gathering clothes for all weather types, preparing a few days’ rations, readying her horse, and arming herself with her trusted sword.

  
With the gate and her accompanying soldiers in sight, Winter quickened her pace.

  
The soldiers, upon sight of the princess, dropped to a kneel and bowed deeply from there. Pyrrha kneeled at the front of the group and called out, “Your Highness, I have prepared the other soldiers as you ordered.”

  
Winter stopped in front of Pyrrha and placed her hands behind her back in her usual militaristic stance. “You may rise, Captain,” the white haired woman said, her voice firm.

  
Pyrrha rose while the other soldiers remained kneeling. “Your Highness, what are your plans for the search?”

  
Winter straightened before leveling her stern gaze on the red headed captain. “Firstly, I wish to discuss Weiss’s expected condition. What do you think we can expect, Captain?”

  
Pyrrha cleared her throat. “I believe that Princess Weiss is alive, though I cannot say whether or not she is uninjured. If she made it to Geister Forest, the chances of her being injured have gone up substantially. I also expect her to still be on Atlas, since it appears that she took no money with her when she left, thus, she would be unable to afford the transportation to another kingdom.”

  
The white haired woman nodded. “Then we agree. With that in mind, I believe we should go to Ameren first. There is a chance that she decided to make preparations before attempting to go through Geister Forest.”

  
“And if she is not in Ameren?”

  
“Then we will move to Eurlos. By foot, that’s the farthest she could go, unless a merchant with a wagon allowed her a ride.”

  
For a moment, Pyrrha said nothing, but she then cleared her throat awkwardly, speaking softly. “Do you think there is any chance that the princess could be in Geister Forest?”

  
Winter visibly stiffened; she had always known there was a possibility that Weiss was lost in the largest forest in the kingdom, but a large part of her wanted to deny that possibility. She cleared her throat, albeit shakily, as she attempted to retain some semblance of her regality. “There is certainly a chance that she is, though I hope she is not. Still, I believe that if she is in neither Ameren nor Eurlos, we will have no choice but to check the forest.”

  
Pyrrha nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  
Winter glanced over the group she would be traveling with for the first time since arriving at the gate. All of them looked to be fairly competent, minus one tall, scraggly blond. The princess’s eyes narrowed at the utterly awkward looking soldier before her gaze turned accusingly toward the red haired captain. “Captain Nikos, who is that tall, blond soldier in the back? He hardly looks fit for this mission, let alone fit for the army itself.”

  
Pyrrha grimaced at the positively icy tone before regaining her composure. “That would be Jaune Arc, Your Highness,” the captain said without turning to face the subject of the conversation. “He comes from a long line of heroes, and despite his lack of combat ability, he had more enthusiasm than anyone for finding Princess Weiss. I believe the party would benefit from that enthusiasm.”

  
Jaune took this opportunity to glance up at his captain and the princess, a gasp nearly escaping his throat at the sight of Weiss’s near twin. Noticing Winter’s less than friendly glare, the blond soldier grinned sheepishly, resisting the urge to rub the back of his neck.

  
A huff left Winter’s mouth as she marched over to her white horse and mounted it. “Very well,” she said, her voice gruff. “Let us leave without delay.”

  
“Yes, Your Highness,” came a resounding chorus of voices, accompanied by the sound of armor clinking as the soldiers rose.

  
Upon sight of Pyrrha and the other soldiers atop their own horses –the search party prioritized speed and mobility over the standard walking unit—Winter nodded to the captain and spurred her horse out past the gate, the others following suit.

 

* * *

 

 

Yang awoke to the sun beginning to peek over the horizon, the rays of light effectively making it impossible for the blonde to attempt to sleep longer. She rose with a stretch and glanced over at her white haired companion.

  
Gentle breaths moved past the former princess’s lips as she continued her evidently undisturbed slumber. There was a ghost of a smile on the girl’s face as she let out a contented sigh before resuming her gentle, even breathing.

  
Yang smiled at the sight, reaching over and gently brushing a particularly ticklish lock of ivory hair away from the girl’s nose. The blonde then stood and gently lifted the slab of wood that was Weiss’s makeshift bed before setting it back down in the shade of a tree.

  
Satisfied that the girl would not be awakened by the morning’s light just yet, Yang opened her thickly woven burlap sack and retrieved 3 throwing knives. These particular knives were perfectly sharped; ready to be used at a moment’s notice, and they would be; Yang was going to hunt for breakfast.

  
The blonde slid the knives into their sheaths on her leather belt and silently exited the camp.

  
The forest was quiet, the only sounds being the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustling of a tree branch. Yang wasn’t listening for chirps or rustling, but for the subtle treading of a deer or rabbit. The blonde had been getting tired of eating nothing but fish, so she had decided that a change in the menu would be necessary. During her time by the river, she had seen various animals along the stream, and thus she knew that her desired meal would likely be somewhere nearby.

  
As luck would have it, after searching for several minutes, the sell-sword heard the sound of shifting gravel. Carefully but quickly, Yang skulked her way to a large tree and rested her back against it, peering carefully around to get a better look at her soon-to-be prey.

  
A doe was softly treading her way down to the stream, likely to get a drink and perhaps feast on some vegetation nearby, completely unaware of the danger lurking behind a tree.

  
Yang silently slid one of the throwing knives from her belt and held the blade between her thumb and pointer finger; she would get one shot at this. Anything less than a fatal strike would cause the deer to flee and the sell-sword would be without a meal and one of her blades.

  
Releasing one calming breath, the sell-sword whirled from her spot behind the tree, drawing her arm back and releasing the blade with a snap of her wrist.

  
Fortunately for Yang –and her slightly irritable companion—the blade struck true, hitting the doe in its left eye and causing it to crumple to the ground in a heap.

  
With a slight smile and a satisfied nod, the blonde retrieved the blade that had pierced all the way to the brain and wiped the weapon clean. Now came the slightly harder part: lugging the soon-to-be-meal back to camp. It wasn’t so much that the doe was heavy, but that its size made it just slightly awkward to carry. Yang settled for carrying it piggy-back style, hefting the front legs over her shoulders and trudging back to camp.

  
The sun had risen slightly; Yang guessed that she had been hunting for almost half an hour. The forest had started to awaken, she noticed, as there were more chirps and rustling of branches than earlier. Despite being a forest notorious for danger, the blonde felt that there was a slightly peaceful ambiance to it.

  
After a few minutes of walking, the blonde finally returned to camp, greeted by the sight of her drowsy companion. “Good morning, Weiss,” Yang said softly.

  
A yawn. “Good morning, Yang,” Weiss mumbled back. She still seemed to be waking up, something which brought a small smile to Yang’s face.

  
Not a moment later, Weiss’s eyes lit up at the sight of the doe that Yang placed near the fire. “We’re not having fish?” The ivory haired girl was practically drooling.

  
Yang chuckled. “I managed to get us some venison this time. If I prepare it properly, I might be able to make it last a few days.”

  
A smile split Weiss’s face as she happily congratulated her sell-sword companion on her job well done. The blonde was not the only one who had gotten tired of eating fish for every meal; anything else was a welcome change for the former princess.

  
Not wanting to keep her companion –or her stomach—waiting, Yang set to dressing her prize. While the meat was important, the blonde was especially careful with the pelt; she planned to make it into a new blanket or cloak for Weiss. Her nearly-mummified companion currently had a blanket, Yang’s best one, but it had holes in it and wasn’t nearly as warm as a deer pelt.

  
Weiss had stated many times that she didn’t want to be treated specially, citing that she was no longer a princess and was not employing Yang, but the sell-sword felt that she owed it to the former princess to treat her well, thus, the blonde had to be covert about her special treatment. After all, it had been Weiss who had given Yang her purpose, and for that, the blonde felt inarticulately grateful, and that the former princess deserved to be pampered, or at least as much as one could be pampered in the middle of an incredibly dangerous forest. Truly, Yang would never be able to express how grateful she was to Weiss for allowing her to be her companion on her long journey.

  
The snapping of a branch caused Yang to pause her careful dressing. She glanced around the area, straining her ears for any other sounds; no animal made that much noise, so there were only two options: it was a Grimm, or even worse, it was a human. Grimm could be killed without any real repercussions, but humans were a trickier matter; there could be more than one, or there would be a problem of law enforcement if they were killed, or even worse, they could run off and reveal Weiss and Yang’s location to a larger group.

  
Weiss, hearing the sound as well, looked around as much as she could before murmuring, “What was that?” Despite not being familiar with the outdoors and the dangers that occur outside, Weiss had enough sense to not make any more noise than necessary.

  
A shake of a mass of blonde hair was all Weiss got as Yang ran her fingers across the hilts of each of her throwing knives, confirming that they were in their spots and ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

  
Another snap of a branch and Yang sank into a combat-ready stance, her legs apart and her fists up. Whatever happened, Weiss would not be getting hurt.

  
A group of four men, likely bandits, lazily stepped out of the tree line and into the edge of the camp. They were rather burly, minus the smallest one --who was actually rather scrawny-- and clothed in a mix of various styles and colors, all of which were likely stolen.

  
The shortest one noticed Yang and grinned maliciously, sticking a rather bony finger at her and tilting his head towards the largest and burliest man of the group. “’Ey, Boss! Lookit what we got ‘ere. A little girl, all by ‘er lonesome lookin’ like she’s ready to fight us,” he cackled, his voice cracking slightly. Yang guessed he was fifteen at the oldest.

  
The boss glanced at Yang, letting out a low wolf whistle. “A pretty thing! What’re ya doin’ all the way out ‘ere in these dangerous woods ‘lone, honey?” His grin was just as malicious as his other companions, who were more than likely nothing more than his lackeys.

  
Yang gave him no answer, and instead hardened her gaze, transmitting bloodlust that even the dimmest man could pick up on. No matter what the blonde could possibly say to the men, the encounter would likely end in bloodshed.

  
Another whistle from the boss, though this time, it was in amazement at the hostility that poured from Yang. Before he could address his newfound threat, the shortest lackey piped up again, thrusting his bony finger at the other figure lying on a slab of wood.

  
“’Nother one, Boss! What’s wrong wit ‘er? Looks like she’s bein’ swallowed ‘live by them bandages o’ ‘ers.” Another cackle escaped past his crooked teeth. Apparently, the entire situation was laughable to the kid who would likely be the first to go down. The irony was nearly enough to make Yang laugh.

  
Another one of the lackeys, a man with shaggy black hair, whistled this time. “’Nother pretty one! We got lucky, huh, Boss?”

  
Yang stiffened; they had all finally noticed Weiss, who had been doing her absolute best to remain unnoticed. The blonde stole a quick glance at her companion; the girl looked terrified –she was shaking as much as her injured body would allow and her eyes were wide, flitting from man to man rapidly—her fear likely stemming from the fact that she would be unable to defend herself if any of the men got close enough to attack her.

  
Slowly, Yang sidled her way towards Weiss until she stood between the former princess and the bandits. Weiss would not be harmed under any circumstances.

  
The boss, finally looking over at Weiss, nodded approvingly. “She’s just yer type, eh, Nox?”

  
The black haired bandit, Nox apparently, nodded ecstatically. “Can I ‘ave ‘er, Boss?”

  
The boss laughed uproariously. “”Course ya can, boy!”

  
Yang could feel her anger boil over. Her blood felt like it was on fire as she ground her teeth; these men would not be leaving in one piece, if alive at all. She moved her hands to her gauntlets, which had been in their collapsed bracelet form, and slid the plates back, hearing a click as they locked into place; for threatening Weiss with any sort of harm, they would be facing the full wrath of Yang Xiao Long and her Ember Celica.

  
“Weiss,” Yang called out softly, her voice tight, as she turned her head slightly to look at the former princess, yet kept the bandits within her sight. Despite her anger, the blonde wanted to soothe and reassure her frightened companion.

  
“Yes?” the former princess whispered. A second later, Weiss gasped at the sight of Yang’s normally lilac eyes burning with a bloody red color. The blonde seemed to have heat radiating off of her, almost as if she was made of fire.

  
“Don’t worry, they won’t harm you. I promise,” Yang said with an intensity that could only be matched by the sun shining brightly overhead.

  
Weiss gulped and nodded, locking eyes briefly with Yang before the blonde turned back to the men. A small wave of relief had washed over the former princess at Yang’s declaration, but a small part of her worried over the sell-sword’s extreme personality change. It wasn’t that Weiss thought that Yang would turn on her with that intensity, but rather that she worried about how easily something in the future could set the blonde off.

  
“What’s goin’ on? What’re ya whisperin’ ‘bout? Ya tryin’ ta make a secret plan or somethin’?” the boss bellowed out. “It ain’t gonna work!”

  
Yang ignored the boss’s words and charged at the smallest bandit, bringing her right fist up into his jaw for a swift uppercut.

  
The unfortunate bandit flew backwards until he crashed into a tree, sliding down as his head drooped. The other bandits’ jaws went slack as they finally registered the attack on their companion who had been incapacitated by Yang’s strike.

  
The boss growled, unsheathing his sword and pointing the tip towards Yang. “Kill this one, boys. We can ‘ave fun wit tha other one later.”

  
The bandit that hadn’t spoken up charged at Yang with a shout, his sword raised high over his head.

  
Yang sidestepped, letting the sword slice through thin air before delivering a punch to his abdomen.

  
The bandit doubled over, gasping for breath before the sell-sword whirled around and delivered a swift kick to his temple. He spun with the impact and collapsed to the ground in a heap.

  
Nox, noticing his companion’s defeat, sprinted towards Weiss, intent on getting a hostage to stop the belligerent blonde.

  
Yang noticed this and pulled her right arm back --as if she was readying a punch—until she heard a click. Signaled that her weapon was ready, Yang let her punch fly, aiming it at the back of Nox who was several feet away.

  
Nox had seen the blonde’s movements out of the corner of his eye, but could not figure out for the life of him what she was doing. Seconds later, he felt an impact on his back that winded him instantly as he flew sideways.

  
The boss’s jaw went slack as he watched his lackey fly through the air like an arrow; what the hell happened? He whirled on Yang, roaring, “What tha hell’d ya do, bitch?! What’s that weapon o’ yours?!”

  
Again, Yang said nothing as she pulled both fists back until she heard the accompanying clicks. She readied her stance once more and waited.

  
The boss growled again. “’S like magic or somethin’! I’ll kill ya an’ take it fer myself,” he roared, charging at Yang much like his quiet lackey had.

  
This time, Yang opted for blocking the attack, taking the brunt of the strike with her gauntlets crossed above her head. Sparks flew upon impact as the boss vainly attempted to slice through Ember Celica.

  
The blonde squatted as the boss put more pressure on her weapon before launching herself upward, throwing the boss off balance. Yang began to launch blast after blast of dust from Ember Celica, each one hitting the boss with a loud grunt accompanying them.

  
Meanwhile, Weiss’s jaw had not closed once since the fight began. She’d never seen a weapon like Yang’s; firing blasts of dust out of her gauntlets like arrows. Even without her gauntlets, the blonde would have been dominating the fight, easily demonstrated by the two lackeys who went down first.

  
Not long into her musings, Weiss was snapped out of her thoughts by a particularly loud grunt from the boss.

  
Yang found herself in the same position from the beginning of her fight with the boss; her gauntlets crossed to block his vertical strike. The blonde ground her teeth slightly. Despite landing several brutal blows, the battered boss would not fall. Yang decided she would have to strike him in the head with a crushing blow, one that would be nearly impossible to recover from.

  
She released a breath and squatted again, tensing all the muscles in her legs before launching herself into the air. The boss lost his balance once more and Yang continued her ascent, flying several feet into the air before pulling her arm back. Ember Celica clicked again and Yang whirled through the air, gaining momentum through her spins before bringing her fist down onto the back of the boss’s head with an audible crack and an explosion of dust.

  
The impact was so fierce, the boss’s face dropped to the ground in an instant, making contact with the dirt so strongly, a large crater formed around him. Naturally, he did not rise.

  
Yang relaxed her stance with a breath and grasped at her gauntlets, returning Ember Celica back to its bracelet form. She observed her handiwork and judged that it would be safe for her to check on Weiss before depositing the men on the path through the forest.

  
The former princess was still gaping and shaking slightly when Yang approached her.

  
“Weiss?” the blonde called softly. “Are you alright?”

  
“Yang, that was... I don’t…. how did you…?” Weiss stuttered, struggling to push any coherent thoughts out of her mouth. With a heavy sigh, the former princess gave up. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Are you alright?” From her position on the ground, the ivory haired girl attempted to inspect Yang for any wounds, though she highly doubted the brutish blonde had so much as a bug bite on her.

  
Yang checked herself over quickly, the slightest smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m fine as well. Thank you for your concern.” The blonde walked over to the unconscious body of Nox, hoisting him, and a moment later, his quiet companion, over her shoulders. “I’ll be back in a moment. I’m going to put them on the path. Someone looking for some money can turn them over to some guards,” she called over her shoulder.

  
“Be careful,” Weiss called back, though she almost laughed at her statement; after that little display, the former princess doubted the blonde would have any trouble with that.

  
As Yang trudged off, Weiss released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The brutish blonde’s combat ability was nothing to take lightly; perhaps Weiss had made a wise decision in allowing Yang to accompany her.

  
She scoffed at her own thought. _Perhaps? More like “absolutely”!_ The former princess gauged that the blonde’s abilities likely rivaled Pyrrha’s own, which was nothing to laugh at.

  
A new thought broke into her head: she had once seen something like Yang’s weapon before. Pyrrha Nikos’s weapon, a rifle is what Weiss recalled the name to be, also launched dust blasts at enemies. Weiss had never been able to understand how it worked, thinking it was something like a legendary weapon of the gods or something akin to that, but apparently there was a rather human explanation; Yang’s uncle had been the one to make her weapon; perhaps Pyrrha had also gotten her weapon from him. She would have to ask Yang later.

  
A few short moments later, Yang returned to collect the other bandits, once again hoisting them over her shoulders and trudging out of camp.

  
Having another short moment to herself, Weiss began to ponder her companion’s attitude change from the beginning of the fight. The normally calm blonde had shifted into a bloodthirsty brawler in a matter of minutes. The reason for the change was beyond Weiss, but it wouldn’t hurt to guess.

  
With a hum, Weiss listed out the possible options: One, Yang actually loved fighting, so she got really intensely focused. Two, Yang perceived the bandits as a threat to her, so she buckled down into a fight or die mindset. Three, the bandits had offended her with the comments about her looks, so she wanted to make them sorry for degrading her.

  
Weiss shook her head; none of her reasons or conclusions seemed quite right. There was something she was missing.

  
Before she could ponder further, Yang returned, walking back to the deer she had been skinning earlier. She sat down once more, crossing her legs and taking her knife out once more to continue her work.

  
After a moment of silence, Weiss cleared her throat. “Yang?” she called out, her voice quieter than usual.

  
“What is it, Weiss? Are you feeling alright? Did those bandits actually manage to hurt you?” Yang had turned around to face Weiss, her eyes wide with concern.

  
“What? Oh, no I’m fine. I just…” she trailed off, looking in the opposite direction of Yang.

  
Yang scooted a little closer, concern still present in her lilac eyes. “’I just’…?”

  
The former princess coughed slightly as a small blush made its way across her face. “I just… wanted to tell you that I think your combat ability is incredible. You fought better than any of the captains in the military. You’re… amazing.”

  
Yang’s eyes widened larger than ever before; clearly, Weiss was unused to giving such honest and heartfelt compliments.

  
As if to reward Weiss’s efforts, the largest smile the former princess had ever seen spread across Yang’s face. The ivory haired girl could feel a smile making its way across her face in response.

  
“Thank you, Weiss. I’m happy to hear that,” came the cheerful reply.

  
Yang returned to her work a moment later, intent on finishing the deer’s preparations before noon.

  
The sun was high in the sky and the distinct calls of various birds could be heard echoing through the forest. A few white, fluffy clouds lazily floated across the sky, though in the distance, a large wave of dark storm clouds was rolling towards the two girls’ camp; it would likely rain before dark.

  
Idle chatter had been filling the air between the girls, mostly consisting of Weiss musing about the various cloud shapes and Yang squinting to see the supposed image the former princess saw in them.

  
“Yang, will you teach me how to defend myself?” Weiss interjected suddenly.

  
Yang glanced at her briefly before turning her attention back to the deer; she had finished skinning it, placing the hide in the river to clean it, and was now preparing the meat for consumption. The fire she had started crackling in the background. “Didn’t you learn anything at the castle?”

  
Weiss shook her head slightly. “No. My father thought it would be _‘unbecoming’_ of someone of my status to get sweaty and fight. It was a rather laughable explanation.” The former princess gave a heavy eye roll; she actually rather liked exercising, as she was always satisfied to know that her efforts would keep her healthy and strong.

  
Yang chuckled before looking over her shoulder. “It will depend on your recovery. If everything goes well, I’ll train you.”

  
“Wonderful! Thank you, Yang,” came the cheerful reply. Evidently, learning to fight was a bigger deal than Weiss had let on.

  
“Should we move our camp? What if the bandits come back? What if they bring more people?” Weiss asked quietly after a moment.

  
Yang hummed in response, not looking up from the deer meat, which was now sizzling over the fire. “It doesn’t matter.”

  
“Why not? Wouldn’t it be safer to change locations so we aren’t found?” concern seeped into Weiss’s voice.

  
“Unfortunately, we can’t move far with you in that condition. Even if we did move, we would likely not find a better location for food and shelter than the one we are in now. Besides, even if they do return, I will get rid of them. There’s no need to worry.”

  
There was no hesitation in Yang’s reply, so Weiss decided to believe her and settled for changing the subject. “After I recover, where shall we go?”

  
Another hum from Yang. “Ultimately, it is your decision, but I believe Pesca may be a good place to go.”

  
“Isn’t that one of the port cities?”

  
“Yes, on the southern side of Atlas. It’s very famous for its seafood. The local delicacy is supposedly Mirow.”

  
It was Weiss’s turn to hum this time. “I’ve never eaten Mirow before… Very well, we shall go to Pesca once I’ve recovered.”

  
With a smile, Yang pulled the deer meat away from the fire and began to tear it into smaller pieces. As per usual, Yang fed Weiss with same care as a mother and Weiss would become embarrassed about the whole event. The deer meat was a welcome change, as both women sighed in content as the meat hit their taste buds.

  
“It’s nice to have something other than fish,” Weiss said afterwards, a satisfied smile splitting her face.

  
Yang gave a nod as she gently rubbed circles on her toned stomach. She looked overhead, noticing that the clouds that had been rolling in earlier had finally arrived, and with them, large raindrops fell to the ground with an audible _plop_.

  
In a rush, the blonde jumped up, intent on getting Weiss out of the rain before she became soaked. She hurried over to the immobile girl and began to lift the slab of wood she lay on before Weiss’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

  
“Wait! Could I… Could we…” she nearly whispered.

  
Yang strained her ears to hear over the increasing rainfall.

  
“Could you let me stay out here for a bit? The rain feels wonderful and this is the closest I will get to actually bathing for a while.” Her voice was small, though Yang couldn’t understand why she was so reserved about her request.

  
Yang tilted her head in confusion, attempting to comprehend the reasoning for the ivory haired girl to become shy.

  
Seemingly catching on, Weiss quickly followed with, “You’ll have to dry me off afterwards and I don’t wish to create extra work for you. It’s silly, I know, but I can’t help but feel that I cause nothing but trouble for you. That’s why I’m hesitant to ask.”

  
For the amount of time the exchange had taken, even if Yang said no, she would have had to dry Weiss off all the same. With a reassuring smile, she gently set the slab down, careful to not jostle Weiss.

  
With a grateful smile, Weiss closed her eyes then, letting the cool water hit her skin and dribble down her sides. Another sigh escaped her lips as she did her best to bask in her impromptu shower. She hadn’t felt this truly clean since her escape from the castle.

  
Yang, for her part, followed Weiss’s example, letting the rain patter against her and soak her hair and clothes. She had to admit, the water did feel wonderful. True, she had been able to bathe herself in the river, but the water was not exactly warm and she had to worry about leaving herself or Weiss vulnerable to attack if she stayed in the water too long. Thus, she had never been able to enjoy her time bathing.

  
In this moment though, neither of the two travelers had to worry about anything, instead, they were content to stay in silence as they let the rain cleanse them.

  
Eventually, the rain was no longer pleasantly cool, but rather ice cold, so Yang decided that their time out in the storm was over. With no resistance from her companion, the blonde lifted the slab and brought in underneath the cover of several trees.

  
Fortunately, their possessions had already been under cover, so Yang took out a dry blanket and strung it across the branches of the tree that Weiss was laying under. The blanket, acting as a makeshift roof, sheltered the former princess from the few drops of rain that escaped through the branches.

  
Yang quickly built a fire and set to work peeling the ice-cold clothes from the former princess’s shivering form. Forcing down a blush that threatened to make its way across her face, the blonde delicately removed the soaked bandages and clothes.

  
Weiss was also fighting down a blush of her own, reminding herself sternly that Yang was only assisting her in what she could not do herself; that the blonde was only doing what she felt was necessary.

  
Coming to a silent agreement, the two did not make eye contact, with Yang focusing on removing Weiss’s bandages and with Weiss staring judiciously up at her makeshift ceiling.

  
After what seemed like an eternity, Yang had finished removing Weiss’s bandages and clothes. She reached into her bag for a spare cloak and several more bandages, along with something to dry Weiss.

  
The blonde quickly wiped the injured girl’s body dry and applied the bandages at a speed that seemed nearly inhuman. She then pulled the cloak around Weiss to keep her warm for the time being before drying off the rest of the girl’s body.

  
At this moment, Weiss was struck by how diligent and caring her companion had been throughout their entire time together. Never once had Yang complained, grumbled, or dragged her feet about anything involving Weiss. In a way, the former princess was reminded of the servants back at the castle, but this was something entirely different; nothing the servants had ever done had been filled with this much care and affection. For Weiss, who had grown up with little genuine care, this was something entirely new and –dare she say it—heartwarming. It was a little frightening.

  
When Yang brought the rag up to Weiss’s face, the former princess nuzzled gently into the contact.

  
Lilac eyes went wide as the blonde brawler attempted to comprehend her companion’s actions.

  
Ice-blue eyes met lilac as Weiss wordlessly pleaded for Yang to come closer.

  
The blonde obliged, leaning her face towards Weiss’s cautiously.

  
Their foreheads met as Weiss’s eyes fluttered shut. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Thank you for everything. If it weren’t for you, I would be dead. You’ve taken such good care of me and treated me with more genuine affection than I’ve ever received in my entire life, and for that, I can’t ever thank you enough.”

  
Yang let her own eyes flutter closed as she breathed back her own reply, “You don’t have to thank me, Weiss. I’m doing this because I want to. You deserve to be treated this way and I can promise you that I will continue to treat you in the way that you should have been treated for all those years.”

  
Weiss could feel tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you, Yang. Even though we have only known each other for two weeks, I can’t help but feel that this was destined to happen. I’m…” she sniffled. “I’m so glad I met you.”

  
Yang could feel tears pricking at her own eyes as she nodded slightly, rubbing their foreheads together in the process. “I’m glad I met you too, Weiss. I’m happy to journey across Remnant together with you.”

  
Neither knew how long they stayed like that, with their eyes closed and their foreheads resting against each other, but neither cared. For once in both of their lives, they were completely at peace. As the sun set, Weiss leaned up to press a tender kiss to her companion’s cheek, an action that the two would remember as a moment that changed their relationship forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the bandit speech was discernible. Also, I hope I was able to convey the tenderness of that last scene. It was something of a starting point for their relationship to be more than just traveling companions, and more than anything, it was also meant to help Weiss realize that Yang really and truly cares about her, which is something she is not used to. Until next time~!
> 
> Notes:
> 
> Pesca (taken from the Spanish word for “fish”): A small port city situated southeast of Castle Town. It is a particular hotspot for fishermen, as a particularly rare type of fish (Mirow) can be found there. Due to this, some of the best seafood eateries can be found there.


	4. Starting Things Off With a Yang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get moving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to cross-post for months what is WRONG with me. Anyway, here it finally is.

            After the bandit intrusion, time had moved fairly swiftly at Weiss and Yang’s camp. As per usual, their days had been filled with chatter and Yang continued to take care of Weiss. As weeks went by, Yang had begun to assist Weiss in rehabilitating, eventually culminating in the removal of all of Weiss’s bandages and makeshift splints. Weiss had been thrilled to be able to walk again, though she needed Yang’s help for any strenuous walking; doing nothing for weeks had essentially reduced Weiss’s muscles to jelly, and it would take a while yet before her strength returned to normal.

            Besides the bandits, there had been few problems to plague the two girls besides the occasional Grimm wandering near. Yang, for her part, had been able to handle them without resorting to using her Ember Celica, dispatching the Grimm as if they were nothing more than insects. Weiss had never felt safer, even when she had been in the castle surrounded by the strongest military force on Remnant.

            Once Weiss had recovered enough to be able to walk for a few hours without pain, the two had set out for Pesca. Yang had suggested that they stop in Postres, a small town on the northeastern end of the forest, to resupply. Weiss had agreed, but before the two truly left their campsite, Yang had surprised her with the deer pelt from the day of the bandit intrusion; Yang had turned it into a cloak that would help to keep Weiss warm and dry far better than just her royal traveling clothes.

            “Are you ready?” Yang asked, tossing three burlap sacks over her shoulder; one contained the blankets and such, another held tools, and the last held their food. The things were about the size of a boulder, but the blonde had hoisted them like they were the size of a pebble.

            “I think so,” Weiss said, taking one last sweeping look over the remains of their camp. Spotting nothing, the former princess nodded firmly, and the two set off.

            Yang’s time traveling hadn’t been for nothing; the blonde was a skilled navigator, monitoring the sun’s position in the sky to confirm their direction and timing. She had warned Weiss earlier that there was a high chance they would run into more Grimm than before as they moved into the densest part of the forest. The former princess had nodded gravely, an audible gulp betraying her apprehension.

            Geister Forest, despite its rather deadly reputation, was a rather beautiful forest, lush with various fir trees and crisscrossed by various creeks and streams. At night, it was easy to see thousands of stars covering the sky, something which had captivated Weiss.

            The two had left early in the morning, setting out not long after dawn in order to travel as far as possible in the daylight; there was no sense in tempting fate and exposing themselves to Grimm. Originally, Yang had planned to leave without eating breakfast, but the rather whale-like grumbles from Weiss’s stomach had told her otherwise.

            “Watch your step,” Yang said, reaching for Weiss’s hand as she stepped over a series of crevices.

            The former princess took the blonde’s hand and gingerly followed in her footsteps, watching her feet the entire time she did so. Weiss had never done such strenuous exercise as hike through the woods, and after the fifth time her foot had gotten caught on a stray branch, she had decided to pay extra attention to her footing.

            After about two hours, Yang’s soft voice broke through the comfortable silence. “Are you doing alright? Do you want to take a break?”

            “I’m perfectly fine. Let’s not waste time and keep going,” Weiss huffed, though her huff was less indignant sounding, and rather more winded. Though her near-vegetable state had severely harmed her pride, the former princess was still far too proud to simply admit to her fatigue.

            The former sell-sword eyed her skeptically before relenting, turning back to the path and continuing to clear the way for her companion. Yang sighed; it looked as if she would have to feign fatigue if she would ever get the ivory haired girl to stop before she collapsed.

            “What kind of a place is Postres?” Weiss asked through heavy exhales.

            Yang hummed, tilting her head slightly as she tried to recall the town. “It’s a rather small town, not unlike Ameren or Eurlos. There are several inns and taverns where you can meet many different kinds of people.” She paused, humming once more. “If I’m thinking of the right place, they have a rather large market on Wednesday mornings that sells many different types of desserts.”

            Weiss perked up at the mention of desserts, nearly having to wipe her mouth clean of drool on her sleeve. “Really? What day is it? When do you think we will arrive?”

            “If I’ve kept track right, today should be Sunday. If we keep pace, we should reach Postres by Tuesday evening. We should have plenty of time to explore the market,” the blonde said with a smile. It was nice to see her companion so lively.

            “I wonder what kind of things they have there… Do you think they have raspberry tarts?” Weiss asked excitedly.

            Yang chuckled. “Probably. If they are famous for a dessert market, I’d bet coin that they’d have tarts.”

            The former princess sighed dreamily, already picturing the tart in front of her. “What kinds of desserts do you like, Yang?” she asked suddenly.

            “Hm… I like sweet bread drizzled with honey a lot. It costs little coin and it can be eaten with a lot of other things.” Yang’s stomach grumbled at the thought. She grinned a bit sheepishly. “Perhaps we should take a break and eat?”

            Weiss’s own stomach grumbled in response. “I think that’s a good idea,” Weiss said with a sheepish grin of her own.

            The two found a clearing and laid out a blanket to sit on before they set their bags on top of it. Yang rummaged through one of her burlap sacks and retrieved several pieces of smoked deer and fish. Honestly, the deer and fish had become something like jerky by the time finished smoking them. Yang lacked anything to preserve the meat any other way, so she had constructed a smoker to save their food.

            Weiss had been pleased to hear that they had a secure food source for at least a few days, and was especially pleased to hear that she would be able to enjoy the deer meat for a little while longer; the thought of eating nothing but fish for days on end once again made her grimace. Hopefully she would regain her taste for fish by the time they reached Pesca.

            Yang handed Weiss her portion and the two dug in. Yang tore through her meat with little effort, her jaw and teeth tearing through the jerky as if it was wet paper. The former princess, on the other hand, struggled a bit more with her portion; the meat was tougher than anything she had eaten before. Each piece was torn through eventually though, leaving her a bit exhausted after each one.

            “You doing alright, Weiss? You need me to feed you again?” Yang asked, a smirk resting on her face.

            “Hush. Don’t be a pest,” Weiss huffed indignantly. In truth, she found Yang’s comment amusing as well, but she wasn’t about to give Yang the satisfaction of knowing that. “I’m simply unused to eating such things.”

            “You’ve probably never eaten such tough food in your life,” the blonde mused. “What kind of food did you eat at the castle?”

            Weiss paused her battle with the venison jerky. “It really depended on the day; sometimes we would have Atlesian cuisine, other times we would eat Mistralian food, and other days we would have Valian food.” She stopped her recollection momentarily to take another bite of her food before resuming. “Usually, it would be a three course meal; appetizers, the main meal, and lastly dessert. We would eat at this gigantic table that could seat 30, and the whole thing would be covered with food. It piled up like a mountain and made it incredibly difficult to see anyone across from you.”

            Yang’s eyes bulged; she could scarcely imagine so much food, let alone so much food eaten during one meal. “How did you have room for all that? And forgive me for asking this, but how are you not incredibly fat?”

            Weiss chuckled. “I wonder the same thing. I’ve never eaten everything. Usually, I pick one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. Even the most overweight nobles are only able to eat an eighth of what is laid out.” Another pause for another bite of jerky. Weiss’s smile shifted to a grimace. “It had always seemed like a great waste to me. One day, I went to the kitchen to ask about what happened to the food we didn’t eat. Do you know what they told me?” She looked to her blonde companion.

            The brawler had a fairly good idea, but she shook her head anyway. It was probably something Weiss wanted to say herself. Yang’s own smile had disappeared as well.

            “They told me that it was disposed of, where it would be taken with the rest of the trash out to a furnace to burn. I could hardly believe my ears, and it looked as if the cooks felt the same way. I asked them if it would be possible to give it to those who were starving out on the streets of Castle Town, but they said that it had been on my father’s orders to dispose of it in such a manner. In other words, they couldn’t do anything about it. Just imagine it: countless people were starving on the streets just outside the castle grounds and none of the excess food goes to them. Absolutely none. ”

            Weiss let her head drop, clutching her meal tightly in front of her eyes.

            Yang slid next to her ivory-haired companion and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She wasn’t asking for Weiss to speak, but rather that she wanted her ailing companion to know she was there for support.

            “For a while,” Weiss ground out, “I ate more food than usual, trying to make less of it go to waste. I would exercise far more often and twice as hard as I had before, trying to compensate for the increased intake in food.”

            She let out a bitter laugh. “I knew it wouldn’t really change anything, but I wanted to do something –anything! Anything to lessen the blatant waste of food.” Weiss’s head rose and she gave Yang a weak but grateful smile.

            Yang returned the smile gently, nodding in response to the girl’s efforts. She was happy to find that Weiss was incredibly thoughtful and generous. How she had managed to retain that kind nature in the harsh environment of the castle was beyond the blonde’s imagination. She gave Weiss’s shoulder another gentle squeeze; a signal to continue.

            Weiss took a deep breath before plowing onward. “Neither my sister, nor my father noticed my efforts, and I decided to get a little bolder: I began to sneak into the kitchen and smuggle food out.” The slightest smirk crossed the former princess’s lips. “For a while, it worked rather well. I loaded up a horse with bags of food and rode out to the city, distributing food in various spots across town. Eventually, it became clear that I wouldn’t be able to continue sneaking out after every meal every day, so I had to change tactics.”

            The former princess took another bite out of her jerky. “I began to ask the castle staff who lived outside the castle to smuggle food out to their families and some of the citizens near their homes. Many of them were hesitant, and why wouldn’t they be? They were essentially risking their lives and their families to assist the young princess with her little rebellion.” A self-deprecating smile rested on Weiss’s face.

            “I didn’t pressure them; it would be their lives at risk, not my own. Eventually though, without any pushing from me, many decided to assist, and hardly any food went to waste after that. They were doing that right up until I left the castle.”

A wistful smile ghosted Weiss’s face. “I hope they are still doing it now. It would be a shame to let all that food go to waste again.”

“I’m sure they are,” Yang said firmly, startling Weiss out of her musings. “I don’t think they would stop just because you’re gone. They agreed to help you because they believed that what you were doing was right. I don’t believe they would let that all go to waste.”

Yang chuckled at her next thought. “It’s something like a legacy that you left behind. They will probably want to honor you by keeping it going.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Weiss giggled. She’d never thought of it like that. It was a rather charming thought that left a warm feeling in her chest. The thought of doing at least one good thing while in the castle made her swell with pride.

The rest of the meal passed with light conversation filling in the gaps between bites. Yang finished well before Weiss and was content to sit and listen to the former princess recount a few bizarre tales from the various banquets she had been forced to sit through. Apparently, it was indeed possible to induce oneself into a food-coma, as one particularly greedy noble discovered the hard way. According to Weiss, he woke up three days later and promptly went on a diet. He was now one of the skinniest nobles Weiss had ever seen.

            Yang rose from her spot on the blanket, stretching her arms once she stood. “Shall we get going?”

            Weiss rose as well, gathering up the blanket and placing it back in its sack. “Yes. I’d like to make some more progress before it gets too late.”

            With a nod from Yang, the two set off once more.

 

* * *

 

            It was Tuesday evening when Postres began to rise up on the horizon. The sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the landscape.

            Spotting the various buildings dotting the edge of her sightline, Weiss’s eyes lit up. “Yang, look! It’s Postres! We’re finally here, right when you said we would be,” the former princess exclaimed, tugging on her blonde companion’s arm excitedly.

            The brawler chuckled, relenting to her companion’s insistent tugging and letting herself be dragged hurriedly towards the town.

            “We should probably find an inn first, right?” Weiss queried. Her head swiveled back and forth rapidly, attempting to take in all the sights the small town had to offer.

            Yang nodded. She checked her belt for her coin purse, opening the mouth of the bag to make sure they had enough coin to pay for a meal and an inn. Upon seeing far less lien than she would have liked, the blonde concluded that their meal would not be an extravagant one and neither would their inn.

            “Do you know any good places to eat here? I’ve never seen so many taverns in one place before!” Ice blue eyes gleamed with excitement. Castle Town had several taverns, but they were all fairly spread apart according to the maps in the castle, and because of her father’s strict policy on leaving the castle grounds, Weiss had never had the chance to explore much of Castle Town. Her escapades to feed the hungry had always been hurried, so even then, she was more focused on completing her mission, rather than taking in the sights.

            “Not really. Most of what I know about Atlas comes from what I’ve heard when I was traveling. If it’s a recommendation, there would be no one better to ask than a local. They’ll probably know the best and cheapest spots,” Yang said, looking around for a suitable person to ask.

            The two arrived at what was likely the town square, judging by the large fountain that rested in the center. Even as the sun was setting, people were still bustling through, and many merchants were just beginning to pack up their things to head back home.

            Across the square, a stout woman was cleaning up what looked to be a flower stand. In her hand was a broom that was sweeping various fallen petals into a neat pile at her feet. Yang spotted the woman and gestured for Weiss to follow.

            “Excuse me,” the blonde called out, “are you a local? We would like to ask you about lodging and food around here.”

            The woman turned, coming face-to-face with a well-armored blonde and a rather well-dressed petite girl. For a moment, the woman said nothing, simply taking in the rather odd pair. She shook her head, quickly gathering her bearings and addressing the two. “That I am. You’re looking for a place to eat and stay?”

            Yang nodded. “That’s right. Do you have any recommendations?”

            The woman hummed, resting a hand on her chin in thought. “If you’ve got a decent amount of coin, _The Kindler_ is a good place to go to get a bite to eat, and _Stonewall Inn_ is one of the nicest inns in town. Although,” the woman paused briefly, “if you’ve little coin, a good place to go is _The Creaking Wagon Inn_. They offer free lunch and dinner to those who stay at least one night there. It’s not the best place, but the owner is a rather kind young widow. She’ll treat you right.”

            “Which way is _The Creaking Wagon Inn_?” the brawler inquired, relieved to find that they would get a few meals from their stay; they would have more money for the dessert market that way.

            “It’s just down the road that way,” the woman said, gesturing to a road just west of their spot in the square. “It’ll be on the left side. It’s got a big sign in the shape of a wagon hanging just above the door. You’ll be hard-pressed to miss it.”

            “Thank you for your help,” Yang said, handing the woman a few lien for her troubles.

            With a nod and a wave, Weiss and Yang headed down the road to the inn.

            Weiss chattered happily along the way, remarking about how nice the woman was. According to her, it was rare to have someone assist you without being paid up front in Castle Town.

            After a few moments, their destination came into view, the rather large sign standing out amongst the nondescript buildings surrounding it.

            Yang reached for the rusted doorknob, pushing the wooden door open with a creak and gesturing for Weiss to enter first.

With a thank-you, the former princess did just that, glancing around the entrance and making room for her companion to enter after her.

The inn was clearly old, the wear making itself known in the creaks of the floorboards and the holes in the walls that dotted the interior. In front of them was a staircase that led to the upper rooms, lit by candles that gave off a warm light, and off to the right-hand side was a small desk, likely for the owner to greet the patrons and to keep record of things. The owner though, was not at the desk.

For a moment, the two simply stood there, silently asking each other what they should do, until they heard a rather boisterous shout coming from a room off to the left. Yang gestured for Weiss to follow her lead as they attempted to find the source of the noise.

They were greeted with a surprisingly large dining area. Several people were sitting at various tables throughout the room, dining and drinking large mugs of ale that likely came from the bar off to the right side of the room. A few waitresses made their way in between the tables, attending to the customers who called for them with drunken shouts.

One waitress in particular, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair noticed the pair of newcomers, waving to them jovially. “Welcome, you two! Are you looking for the proprietress?”

“Yes we are,” Weiss shouted back in an effort to be heard over the roar of the patrons. “We’re looking to rent a room.”

The waitress nodded. “Gotcha! I’ll go get her! Wait just a moment, please,” she called, turning on her heel and making her way into the kitchen behind the bar.

Not a moment later, a young woman with black hair appeared from the kitchen, spotting Weiss and Yang and quickly making her way over to them. She looked to be no older than 25. “You two are looking for rooms?” she said, her voice soft.

“Yes. We just got into town and were told that this was a good place to stay,” Weiss said, following after the owner as she walked over to the desk at the entrance.

“I’m happy to hear that this place has been recommended. Oh, my name is Eliza, and I’m the owner of this inn. And you two are?” Eliza reached the desk, pulling out a rather large logbook from within it. She trailed a finger down each page as she scanned them.

“I’m Weiss, and this is my companion, Yang. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eliza,” Weiss said, gesturing to her blonde companion, who nodded in greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you two as well,” the proprietress said, smiling warmly. “How long will you two be staying?”

Weiss looked to Yang. So far, the brawler had been giving all the suggestions for destinations; to Weiss, that also meant that the blonde was in charge of how long they were staying.

Yang spoke quietly. “We will probably stay for 3 days. Do you have any rooms with two beds available?” Yang was fairly sure that Weiss would not want to share a bed with her.

Eliza flipped through the pages until a slight frown settled on her features. “I’m afraid not. Tuesday nights are always busy, considering that the dessert market is tomorrow morning. I have a few rooms with one bed if that’s acceptable.”

Yang checked Weiss’s reaction, though the former princess looked truly unfazed. “Do any of them have a fireplace?” If the blonde was going to sleep on the floor, she at least wanted to be warm.

Another glance at the logbook. “Yes, we do. It’s a corner room, so it’s pretty spacious. Would you like to rent it out?”

“Yes, thank you,” said Yang, smiling slightly.

With the room paid for, Eliza led them up to the third floor, taking them down a long hallway dimly lit with a few sparsely placed candles. She escorted them inside, telling them about the free meals and mentioning that hot water was available if they asked for it. Weiss practically squealed with joy; it had been far too long since she had taken a warm bath and she would not miss the chance to have it.

With a slight bow, Eliza left to return to her duties in the kitchen, assuring the two that the water would be brought up after their meal.

After setting down their things, Yang turned to Weiss. “Shall we go eat?”

The former princess’s stomach grumbled in response. With a slight blush dusting her cheeks, Weiss nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to god I will get the next update out sooner. Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be an adventure/romance slow burn, so don’t expect much in the way of serious romance for a while. Until next time~!


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